The Fountain of Life
“אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם, וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ.” “If you walk in My statutes and guard My mitzvos to perform them, then I will grant your rains in their proper times. The land will give forth its produce and the trees of the field will…
The Book of the Straightforward
The Faithful and the Mighty
1. Who is Mighty? In this week’s parsha we find the mitzva of shemitta, which obligates farmers in Eretz Yisrael to let their fields lie fallow every seventh year, and allow passersby and wild animals alike to eat freely from their produce. In recognition of the strength of character demanded of the…
Labor of Love
In discussing the laws of Jewish slaves and the special degree of compassion that their masters must show them, the Torah concludes with the explanation: כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים עֲבָדַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹקיכֶם. “For Bnei Yisrael are My slaves. They are My slaves, whom I…
From Pesach to Shavuos
Seven Times Seven
This week’s parsha discusses the mitzva of Sefiras HaOmer: וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה. עד ממחרת השבת השביעת תספרו חמשים יום והקרבתם מנחה חדשה לה’. “You shall count for yourselves from the day after the rest-day (Pesach), from the day that you offer the Omer…
The Legacy of Rebbe Akiva
“ואהבת לרעך כמוך. אמר רבי עקיבא: זה כלל גדול בתורה.” “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[1] Rebbe Akiva taught that this is the essence of the entire Torah. [2]” We now find ourselves in the midst of Sefiras HaOmer, during which we mourn the passing of Rebbe Akiva’s 24,000 students who died between Pesach…
The Warning Siren
In this week’s parsha we learn about the various forms of tzara’as that may afflict a person’s skin, clothes or home. Lest one think that tzara’as is a physical illness, such as leprosy, the Midrash states quite clearly that it is a supernatural punishment that Hashem brings upon man for his sins, must notably…